


Fall from Grace

by Lordxana0



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:11:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lordxana0/pseuds/Lordxana0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I have found being the Hero is impossible for me. So I decided to try the other side and found something quite odd. Being the Villain suits me much more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I let out a short breath and walked toward the place I had asked to meet Cardin. Right on the edge of the school, where the waterfall fell. He was there, waiting for me with his arms crossed.

"Well, why did you call me out here Arc?" he sneered at me. "Did you get the shit I wanted done?"

It said a lot about the person I was that some part of me was still screaming at him to run. “No, I didn’t” I answered, my voice was cold to my ears.

"And why is that?" he asked, anger blazing through his voice. "If the papers aren’t done by tomorrow I am going to get my ass chewed out."

I walked over, standing face to face with him. “I..don’t think that will be a problem”

He shoved me. “Who told you to think?”

I looked at him for a moment, thinking about what I was going to do. Part of me wanted to turn back, to stop this while there was still time.

But the part of me that wanted this was a lot stronger, and it wouldn’t be denied. I pulled free my blade from the sheath and plunged it into his stomach, twisting the blade. “It won’t be a problem, because you aren’t going to class tomorrow” I pulled free my blade and he dropped to the ground, a hand over the blade wound. 

"Wha…what the hell?" he breathed, looking up at me with fear in his eyes.

"I don’t know, ask when you get there" I slashed again, my blade plunging into the side of his neck and cutting clean through to the other side, sending his head rolling free. I stepped away from the body, dropping my blood soaked blade and looking at my hands.

"Bravo, Bravo, Encore, Encore!" I heard a clap from the darkness as Vale’s number one criminal Roman Torchwick walked out of the shadows. He walked over to the body and bent over, looking at it. "Kidding of course, he is quite obviously dead" he straightened out and looked at me. "So I am guessing you accept my offer?"

I gave him a nod, looking him in the eyes for a moment. “I don’t have what it takes to be a hero, I never did” I felt a mad smile come to my lips. “I am tired of waking in the shadow of my family, I want to be free”

Roman laughed and walked over, clapping me on the back. “Freedom is the first thing I offer my boy” he put his fingers to his lips and blew out a whistle, summoning two more figures from the shadows. One of them was a tall man with bright red hair and a mask that covered his eyes. The other was a woman, whose body seemed to be covered by the shadows of the night. “Adam, ditch the body, Crimson get the transport ready”

The man picked up the body and carried it to the edge, tossing it over with ease. I followed after him tossing both my sword and shield down after him. 

I was never cut out to be a hero. Heroes don’t lie, they don’t cheat, and they don’t help people because of blackmail. 

So if I couldn’t be a hero.

At least I could leave my mark on this world as a villain.


	2. Chapter 2

I looked around the pitch black arena I had been thrown in, throwing up my Aura around me to protect myself from that which hid in it. 

It had been three full weeks since I left Beacon, and for every day of that time I had been been training with one of my three “Teachers.”

Roman taught me about the underworld and how it ran. He taught me what contacts I would need, what weapons I could sell on the streets and which I kept for myself, which cops could be bought off and which I would need to threaten or just kill. His lessons took the longest to get used too, because no matter how hard I tried that nagging moral voice in the back of my head kept trying to make me feel some level of guilt for my actions. 

Lessons with Crimson were a bit more pleasant, and lot easier to digest. She taught me how to control my Aura, how to shape it into a weapon and how to channel Dust through it to create spells. Due to my large Aura control was the main thing we would work on. While I attuned my Aura she would tell me about the Grimm, how they were the creatures that existed before light touched the Earth, and how all creatures that called the light their home were invaders upon property that belonged to the Grimm. She was kind of crazy, but she could also be kind. It just took time for her to ‘warm up’ to you. I once told her that pun and ended up getting fire blasted for it. But I think I detected the hint of something that might have been a smile.

And then there was sparring practice with Adam. Which brings me back to the present moment. After throwing away my Shield and Sword Adam told me I would have to earn the creation of a new weapon. Apparently the only way to earn a weapon was by landing a blow on him. Which was easier said then done, he was faster then me by a fair amount, and that didn’t even count in the night vision he seemed to possess.

I heard the beat of someone running toward me and quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding Adam’s blade. “So you are finally learning to use your ears instead of your eyes” his voice rang out over the underground arena.

"I guess your lessons are paying off," I smiled, breathing heavily. In our first match he hadn’t even used his sword, instead he had just beat him down with one arm. But now that I had a more firm grip on my Aura I had removed the armored bits of my clothing and had changed to an all black outfit. You had to dress the part after all.

"Don’t get cocky," he snarled, charging at me from the front this time. I raised my arms in front of me as he rained a series of blows at me. My Aura absorbed each hit from the blade causing my own body to weaken from the strain. He delivered a kick to my stomach that sent me flying back, holding my gut. That was bad, a direct hit meant my Aura was running low. "Look at you" Adam sneered. "You make these grand dreams, and you chase after them like an idiot knowing you don’t have the strength to back it up"

My hands tightened into fists as I pulled myself up, glaring at the red haired Faunus. “And what is that suppose to mean?”

The man grinned, as if he had been waiting to hear that question. “Look at yourself, you abandoned your friends, your dreams, everything to follow a madman who dreams of destroying the entire world.” he laughed. “How far you have fallen”

Those words awoke an emotion I rarely felt and sent it to the surface. Rage. Who was he to say any of that? He didn’t know shit about me or what I had been through. I let out a low and predatory growl at him. “Shut the hell up” 

"Oh, does the little traitor not like the truth" he grinned, motioning for me to come at him. "Then make me quiet down"

I roared and charged at him, my Aura blazing around me in a way I had never felt before. With a speed I had never known before I attacked with everything I had. He was forced to go into retreat and full defense to stop my attacks from landing. “Whats wrong?” I mocked in a voice that sounded nothing like my own. “I thought I was weak and pathetic!” I grabbed his blade in my hand and slammed my fist into his cheek, sending his mask flying to the side and revealing two golden eyes. 

Time stood still for a moment as I realized what I had done. I let go of his blade and stepped back, looking down at myself. My normally white Aura was now a midnight black color, and it seemed to wrap around my body in a different way. Where as the White Aura had simply wrapped around my body as a shield, this new Black Aura rippled like it had a life of its own. Around my hands the energy seemed to form claws, sharp and dangerous looking ones at that. I quickly banished my Aura and looked at Adam, who had picked up his mask and put it back on.

"First hit is free" he smirked at me. "We will start making you a weapon tomorrow, till then rest up" He walked away, leaving me in the empty arena with my thoughts.

I was changing. And although it seemed like it should feel wrong, I couldn’t help but think that it felt more right then anything else I had ever done before.


	3. Chapter 3

I looked at the red crystal in my hand, drawing in a sharp breath as I tried to draw its energy out and fuse it to my Aura. 

"You are pushing to hard," Crimson chided from the other side of the room. "If you try and force it…"

The crystal exploded in my hand and sent me into a wall. “Ow..” I slid down and sat on the floor, glad that my Aura was up enough to protect me from the brunt of the damage.

”..you will blow yourself up” she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “So I believe that clears it, you have no talent for Dust manipulation without a conduit” 

I quickly stood up and brushed myself off. “Let me try again”

She shook her head. “No, it isn’t something you can train yourself to do, much like your large Aura you are either born with it or you are not” Crimson turned around. “Follow me” she walked out of the training room briskly.

I followed after her, my hands in my pockets. It had now been a full month and a half since I began working for Roman. Most days it seemed like it was tied for the best time of my life, and other days it was the worst. Roman was still teaching me the art of crime, and we had gone on three successful operations. Adam was still teaching me how to fight, although he put that on hold until my new weapon is finished. We mostly just talk about stuff for the majority of our time. He is about as intense as they come, but he can also be really insightful about most things.

And then there was Crimson. Out of all of the people I have met while working for Roman she is one of the most… interesting of them. She puts on the cold front that threatens to strike you down the second you speak to her, and to be fair for most people that front is actually what will happen, but if you go beyond that she was actually kind of…normal?

I mean I get that it isn’t normal to want to see the world go up in flames while you sit by and watch it. But she just made it seem normal. 

We entered the break room and she went over to the refrigerator, pulling out two cans of soda and tossing me one. After sitting down at the table I cracked it open and took a sip.

She began to drink her own and I laughed a bit. “What?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Its just…" I composed myself. "I don’t know, you are Crimson, the woman who wants to destroy Vytal and allow the Grimm to claim it, just watching you drink a soda like a normal person is a bit…" I chuckled again.

She actually laughed at that and put down the drink. “You do realize that despite my desire to destroy the world doesn’t mean I don’t have normal human desires correct?”

I nodded toward her and set aside the can. “True, so tell me” I leaned forward. “What is it that you do when you aren’t planning the destruction of the human race?”

She shrugged and thought about it for a moment. “I read, watch movies, listen to music, and when the mood strikes me I disguise myself and go out on the town for a night of dancing”

My jaw dropped at that last one. “Wait a minute, are you telling me that the Witch of Fire is pretty much a normal person?”

She shook her head and laughed. “This will surprise you Jaune, but no matter how people classify us no human is black and white” she created a small spark above her finger and watched it. “We all have things we do that set us apart. Like did you know Adam regularly helps with construction projects of local orphanages?” 

Man my jaw had no chance of closing tonight. “Is this the same Adam who I once saw cut off a guys arm for touching a Faunus waitress inappropriately?” 

She nodded. “And Roman regularly donates money to small hospitals that take in poor people without the cash to pay for the bigger ones”

Okay this had to be a joke. “But I thought…”

She raised her hand. “That our goal was to destroy all humans?” she laughed. “It is a thousand times more complicated then that in the end, black and white are mixed remember?” she picked up her drink and went toward the door.

"Hey Crimson?" I called out to her.

She turned around and looked at me. “Yes?”

I looked down. “Do you think maybe next time you sneak out I could join you, I haven’t been out of this place for anything other then missions, and it is starting to get to me”

She smirked. “We’ll see” she turned and left me in the break room, thinking about how things had changed, and how my own views of the world would have to change with it.


	4. Chapter 4

Have you ever had a dream so potent that you could feel everything in it? The entire world in your dream seems so real you believe that that it is real. Sometimes, things like this are nice, when you are having a sweet and relaxing dream. But when it is in a nightmare, the luxury suddenly becomes a burden.

In my dream I watched over a battlefield, seeing two opposing armies staring down each other. On one side were the combined forces of humanity. All of their weapons and soldiers standing ready to defend what remained of themselves. On the other side were the forces of Grimm, seas of nothing but black bodies and white masks.

I felt myself pulled toward the front of the Grimm army, where two figures stood in front of the sea of monsters. One of them was the Grimm Queen, a witch who had absorbed the pure power of the source of the Grimm, and now had the power to command and summon the monsters to her side. Standing by her was a tall man dressed in pure black armor that covered every inch of him. A massive black claymore sat on his back, radiating deadly power and pure darkness. I didn’t know who he was, but I could tell that he was the Queen’s right hand man. A being of such darkness and evil that he had earned a place at the Queen’s side.

"Do it," the Queen ordered, looking toward the armored figure with a cruel smile.

The man raised an arm in the air and then pointed toward the human army. “Devour,” he ordered. The monsters called out in their hideous howls and began to charge forward toward the humans, moving as a single, inescapable wave.

The human forces let loose with everything they had, launching every ranged projectile they possessed to try and break the monsters ranks. But no matter how many Grimm were destroyed, there were too many, and the monsters hit the front lines of the human army in a matter of seconds. It was a slaughterfest for the Grimm; they killed without mercy or hesitation, scattering the bodies of the human defenders far and wide. The armored man was there with them, cutting down anyone and everyone unlucky enough to get in his path.

Suddenly a spear flew out of the carnage and struck the armored figure, sending him back a few feet at the force of the impact. Under his helm I could feel him searching for the spears wielder in the melee. The wielder came out of the fighting with a kick to the mans chest sending him back more. She jumped off of him and rolled on the ground, holding out a hand and summoning her weapon to her.

"So," the man spoke, his voice cold and menacing. "We meet again."

The woman stood tall, turning her spear into a sword and pushing her shield in front of her. It actually took a few seconds for me to recognize who it was. It was Pyrrah, except she was at least a good ten years older now. Her once long hair had been cut short and had a few lines of grey in it. “I will make you the offer one more time, stop this and remember who you are!”

The man laughed at her offer. “It is amazing, my forces have stormed over three quarters of the world, and you are the one offering me surrender?” He put his blade over his shoulders. “Your naivete will never fail to amuse me.”

"The bastards right," another young woman appeared next to Pyrrah in a cloud of red petals. It was Ruby, there was no doubt about it. She held Crescent Rose in its gun form, aiming it at the man. "Even if the bastard begged for his life, I would kill him." The coolness of her voice bit my soul. I had never imagined such a voice coming from Ruby, not in a million years.

"Ruby, so good to see you again," the man inclined his helmeted head toward her. "Your sister sends her regards from hell."

Ruby winced but made no move to attack. “So does Roman, asshole.”

The man paused at that. “So he really is dead, not surprising. So then, shall we?” he raised his hand and a wave of Grimm turned toward Ruby, attacking her. Pyrrah charged forth and battled the man. Her blade and shield against his claymore. Their fight was brutal, both of them pulling out every dirty trick ever written into the fighting manual. Pyrrah’s soft red Aura blazed along her weapons, striking a contrast with the armored mans pitch black Aura. Their battle raged without interruption, the Grimm creating space for their duel.

After a full ten minutes the man in armor finally gained an advantage. Pyrrah had committed to a sword thrust, leading him to grab arm and twist it, making her weapon drop. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Do it,” she whispered.

The man complied, running her through with his blade in one clean movement. “Goodbye, Pyrrah Nikos.” He pulled his blade free from her and let the body drop.

"No!" Ruby broke free from her own fight and turned toward the man, aiming her weapon at him in gun form. "Die!" The weapon glowed bright red and fired out a burst of pure red energy directly at him.

The man didn’t have time to dodge, and the shot hit his armored head. For a few moments nothing but smoke rose from the area, but soon enough the smoke cleared, and I saw something impossible. The face of the armored man was my own. He had the same blonde hair as me, the same face as mine. There were subtle differences through, like his blood red eyes and the various black markings that ran along his head. 

Ruby tossed aside her weapon, reaching into her coat to pull out another one. Except this one was pure white, and it seemed to hold a power all its own.

"I see, so you found that weapon did you?" The other me smiled and closed his eyes. His Aura flared and the armor fell off of him. Under it he wore a lighter set of leather armor and chainmail, which was as black as the heavier set he had been wearing before. He reached behind him and pulled a hood over his head, and then reached under the front of the neck hole of the armor to pulled up a bandana to cover his mouth.

"Yes, Reapers Lament, the ultimate weapon," Ruby changed the weapon from its gun mode to a scythe. She spun the weapon around her took her stance. "I am Ruby Rose, and I challenge you to a duel."

I saw my eyes flare with amusement. “Are you invoking the right to Final Destiny?”

The call for a Final Destiny match meant that whoever won the outcome would have to surrender the battle and retreat. For the humans that would mean death. For the Grimm it would mean having to retreat while under constant fire.

"Yes," Ruby replied looking at him.

"And what right do you have to challenge I, Jaune Arc, Knight of the Queen to this duel?"

"I am she who wields the scythe that brings death to death itself," Ruby’s Aura flowered forward and her red cape began a bright white, much like my Aura had once been.

"Very well, I accept your challenge." He lifted his blade in front of him and let his black Aura surround him. Two pitch black wings of energy appeared from his cloak of darkness.  
Ruby did the same, through hers appeared white and feathery, instead of pitch black and devoid of texture.

The two charged at each other, a crashing of black and white into a single gray color.

I awoke from my dream to find myself covered in sweat. My breathing was deep and troubled at the dream I just had.

"Is something wrong?" Crimson looked up at me with curiosity, although there was still sleep in her eyes.

"Just a bad dream," I muttered under my breath.

"Well then, lets see if I can’t fix that," the witch grabbed my arm and pulled me back toward the bed, climbing on top of me with hunger in her eyes.

Although, memories of this dream would haunt me later, Crimsons current affections outweighed my desire to think of them.

Was I really destined to become that monster in my dreams? To lead a charge to end all life on the planet? I guess only time will tell.


End file.
